Verizon sent long-time customer a refurbished phone, wiped it remotely, and then refused to own up

It’s not uncommon for people to buy a used or refurbished phone from a random stranger, only to realize it’s either stolen controlled by an enterprise MDM (Mobile Device Management) system. But it’s a rather unfortunate rarity when you get locked out of a device you purchased new, even when it has been bought from a reputable company like Verizon. That’s exactly the plight of someone who sent their phone for a repair, received a refurbished unit in return, and then got locked out of what was supposed to be their own device.

How it began

Redditor Tcolls86 (a Tom Collery, according to Ars Technica) described the harrowing experience in a lengthy post. After experiencing poor 5G connectivity, Collery, a Verizon customer of more than 21 years, reportedly sent a phone, seemingly a Galaxy Z Flip, for a hardware diagnosis. Verizon support reasoned it by saying it was due to a “software malfunction.” They were informed that this was likely a manufacturing defect, and their phone would be replaced with a new one. Usually, you would rejoice at the idea of getting a new phone without paying for it. I certainly would! But that’s where things started going south for them.

First, Verizon delivered the phone to the wrong address, to the Collery’s parents’ house in New York, instead of their address in California. Then, they found out that it wasn’t exactly a new phone but a refurbished one. After being told that the phone had gone through a “150-point” checklist, they initially conceded and began using it.

Replacement didn’t fix the issue, but made it worse

Despite that, their problems with 5G didn’t go away. “If anything, it got worse,” according to them, and another advisor then informed them that the issue was likely due to network extenders in the area, refuting the whole point of replacing the phone. The advisor promised to send them an extender, which never really arrived.

A week later, when Collery called to check on the status, they were informed that network extenders were out of stock, and the advisor wasn’t sure when they would be available next. And we haven’t gotten to the actual annoying part just yet.

And then it suddenly struck

Life went on for Collery, and they eventually started noticing an increasing number of security updates on their phone, followed by frequent restarts. One fine day, they noticed that the phone had restarted and gotten reset to the factory condition. And, you guessed it, that wiped off the entire data stored on the phone. Every contact, photo, video, and even the last memories with their grandma before her death.

Collery wasn’t able to log into their Google or Samsung accounts, as the phone kept asking them to contact their IT admins. Verizon support wasn’t able to comprehend the issue initially and asked them to contact Samsung instead. Since calling Verizon wouldn’t help and the broken phone prevented them from going to work, Collery visited a physical store, only to be questioned about the whereabouts of the device. The store manager initially refused to believe it was sent by Verizon, and instead assumed it was either stolen or bought off eBay. After some checking, the manager told them it looked like a demo unit from the store that hadn’t been properly wiped.

Further digging revealed it was managed by BricTECH, Verizon’s provider for the MDM suite.

The maneuvering began

After spending nearly five hours at the store and trying to get through multiple advisors on call, the store manager suggested they could give them a new device while Verizon sent them another one, but said there was no way to get the data back. Over the next few weeks, Collery had to spend hours in countless calls with Verizon support to reach a resolution. In the process, they were also informed that their original device was just fine and didn’t need to be replaced in the first place. Instead, their home fell under what is called a “Marginal Service Zone,” basically a fancy term for an area with poor coverage, which was the reason for their slow 5G. The advisor also told them about a special plan for people living in these zones, but they were never moved under it.

After some more calls, a service advisor offered a $400 credit for their poor experience and advised them to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and the FCC, specifically directing them to contact the Executive Relations team. After filing the complaint and waiting another week to actually connect to an executive advisor, Collery was told they could be sent another refurbished phone, but that Verizon was in no way obligated to provide them the service and had no specific plan for people living in Marginal Service Zones. The last advisor also told them their case was under investigation and that previous conversations, in which Collery received conflicting information, were being reviewed.

And the same conduct continued…

A week later, the agent emailed Collery saying their situation was “unprecedented” because it had never happened before. Verizon said that the user had already received the maximum compensation ($400) and wasn’t eligible for more, and even went so far as to say that they’re free to switch operators. They were blatantly also told, “That is all the credit we are going to give you,” and “we can take it back if you’d like.”

Naturally livid about the conversation, Collery asked for transcripts, to which they were told they would need to be subpoenaed.

In its response, Verizon told the FCC that it “acknowledges the seriousness of the error” and then “advised that all Certified devices originate directly from the manufacturer and are designed to meet stringent quality assurance standards.” It further went on to mark the matter as resolved.

The user’s legal recourse

Since Collery wasn’t satisfied, he asked Verizon for the personal data stored on the MDM-controlled device. Verizon initially told them they needed a legal order to provide the information. Collery pointed to the California Consumer Privacy Act, which mandates companies to disclose personal information, and that California’s Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA) made them eligible for $5,000 in compensation.

To avoid further escalation, Verizon tried to waive Collery’s mobile payments, which they refused, and are now considering legal options under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). They were also initially told by a few lawyers that this wouldn’t hold in court and wasn’t worth the effort, at least not as a

The impossible attempt at regaining data, or connectivity

Meanwhile, trying to recover their data is something Collery may not succeed at. During an earlier conversation, a Verizon advisor suggested Collery take the phone to a uBreakiFix store, but the store manager said it wouldn’t be possible since the phone was MDM-locked.

Verizon is also supposedly searching for the original phone in its warehouses, but hasn’t found any trace of it just yet. And to make things worse, Collery’s service remains as crappy as earlier, and they “have to drive at least a few blocks before anything works.”

In addition to the comments already shared with Ars Technica, we’ve reached out to Verizon for additional updates and will inform you if there’s an update.